Clamp comb



29, 1952 J. E. SHROSBREE 2,583,893

CLAMP COMB Filed April 16, 1949' :3 ll l3 IO i INVENTOR. JOJfF/l f. J/IROSE/Fff KITTORNEYS Patented Jan. 29, 1 952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAMP COMB Joseph E. Shrosbree, Milwaukee, Wis. Application April 16, 1949, Serial No. 87,983

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clamp combs.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved means of operating clamping teeth of combs to facilitate the insertion of such combs into the hair and effectuate an improved clamping action on the hair in a more simple and convenient manner than hitherto obtainable with combs of this type. It is the particular object of the invention to produce these results through a novel geometric relation between the various elements making up the comb, whereby the hair engaging teeth may be flexed open with a minimum of effort.

Other objects will be more apparent from an examination of the following disclosure.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 shows the comb with its hair engaging teeth flexed open under the influence of pressure between the operators thumb and forefinger.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

With reference to Fig. 2 the comb comprises a flexible back H), which may be made of any resilient material such as plastic or the like, and a plurality of tapered bifurcated teeth H extending from and made integral with the back and of the same material as the back. The shape of the back and its orientation with the teeth are of particular importance in the invention. The back H] is made arcuate in shape and convex in the direction in which the teeth ll extend therefrom. In addition, each tooth is bifurcated as defined by slits I2, which extend partly into the back I0. By reason of the arcuate construction of the back and the bifurcation in the teeth, pressure exerted at the sides of the comb towards the center, as by the grasping action of thumb and forefinger, will flex the resilient back material so as to spring the teeth [I to the open position shown in Fig. 3. The shape of the back should be such that the corners 8 grasped by the thumb and forefinger are offset from the intermediate rear edge and from a line joining the ends of slits 12, so that the flexing of the solid portion of the back will spring the teeth open. The arcuate construction, however, reduces the force required.

It will be noted that as to one half of each comb tooth II and the portion l3 of the comb back to which it is contiguous and in fact integral, there is one half of the next adjacent tooth likewise integral with the same portion I3. These comb parts are relatively rigidly related and the U shape in which they are collectively disposed remains substantially rigid throughout the flexing of the other portions of the back of the comb. The flexing may be said to occur in a somewhat hinge-like movement of the comb back It] concentrated in the zones at the ends of the bifurcating slits [2. In fact the shape of the two juxtaposed halves of adjacent teeth II with the arched portion 13 of the comb back intermediate them is a strong arched element between the slits l2. Furthermore, it will be noted that an imaginary line drawn to connect the inner ends of the slits I2, is off-set from an imaginary line between the thumb and forefinger of a user of the comb, as the user presses the ends of the arc of the back as shown in Figure 3. Because the general are of the back is convex in the direction that the teeth are pointed, pressure onthe extended ends of the arc opens the hinge-like portions referred to.

When flexed in this manner the comb may be slits l2 are extended appreciably into the back [0 as aforesaid. By virtue .of thisconstruction since the flexing stresses are localized at the areas of least cross section, such flexing stresses will be localized in the back in planes coincident with the slits [2, rather than in the back portions intermediate of the teeth II, which are of greater effective cross section. In this manner the amount of pressure required to flex the teeth to open position is greatly reduced.

In order to even further localize the flexing stresses at the tooth portions of the back, in one embodiment of the invention the back portions intermediate the tooth portions are enlarged as shown at l3 in Figs. 1 and 4.

If desired, the bifurcating slit 12 may be made to terminate in the back Ill in the apertures 14 shown in Fig. 2. The apertures it serve two important functions. The tendency of the back ill to split along a projected extension of the bifurcated slit I2 is greatly reduced by terminating said slit in the relatively large apertures 14 whose tips I5 are rounded and thus dissipate the splitting stress at this point. In addition, the incorporation of the aperture 14 into the base of the comb will insure that no strands of hair will be caught at the apex of the bifurcating slit 52 when the comb is removed from the hair. Without suchapertures I4, strands of hair might become so wedged in the ends of the bifurcating slits that excessive pressure may be required to release such strands of hair and the comb might be split, to say nothing about the wearers possible discomfort.

'From the foregoing description taken in connection with the attached drawings it may be seen thatthe arcuate construction of the back l taken in "combination with the bifurcated teeth ll which extend'fi'om the concave side of the base It), provides a structure particularly adapted to the opening and closing of the bi-' furcated teeth by the flexing of the base l0. By.

extending the bifurcations 12 into the baselfl, a particularly novel and improved means 'for the back and lying in a single plane, said'back being arcuately shaped in the sameplane assaid teeth and being convex in i the direction in which said teeth extend, the bifurcationsof adjacent teeth being normally i'n contiguous parallelisml 2. The'device-ofclaim 1 wherein the biiu'rca-f tions of said teethare defined-bye; slit which extends partly into the-backto localize flexingstresses in the back to the tooth portions of a said back said teeth being-spaced apartalong said back with arportion ofthe back extendin between juxtaposed bifurcations being integral with said juxtaposed bifurcations to provide a relativel'y'rigid collective-- assembly.

'3. In a clamp combthe combinationof a fiexible backwith bifurcated teeth extending from theback, the bifurcated portions of said teeth being normally .parallelandcontiguous substan- I tially' throughout the lengthof the teeth, said} combback being provided with apertures be tween the bifurcations. r

4'. In a clamp comb the combination of a flexible back with bifurcatedteeth extendingfrom the back in a single plane, said back being arcuately shaped ina the-same. plane as said teeth and being convex in the direction in which said teeth extend; said back comprising relatively inflexible portions intermediate the teeth to localize flexing stresses at the teeth.

5. In a clamp comb the combination of a flexible back with bifurcated teeth extending from the back in a single plane, said back being arcuately shaped in the same plane as said teeth, and being convex in the direction in which said teeth. extend; said back comprising'tooth portions and portions intermediate thereofof enlarged cross section, said teeth being provided with medial slots extending partly into the back.

6. A clamp comb having an arcuate, flexible, resilient back having a convex surface; spaced bifurcated teeth extending from the convex surface of the back and extending in a single plane coincident with the plane of the arced back;

said bifurcated teeth having slits between the bifurcations and extending into the back whereby to establish zones of special resilient flexibility; said backbeing. biased to holdthebifurcations of said teeth normally in contiguity substantially through their lengths;

7. 'In a clampcomb thecombination with a flexible back having. finger engageable portions,

of teeth having base portions integral with the back and having. free end portions extending from the back,- said teethbeing bifurcated by slits extending from their free end portions through and beyond their base portions into the flexible back whereby to weaken the backfand. increase its flexibility adjacent theinner ends or" the slits, said finger engageable portions being offset from an imaginary line connecting the inner ends of. the slits whereby the teethwill open upon application of pressure upon said finger engageable portions.

JOSEPH E. SI-IROSBREE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

